Biogeochemical Changes in Arctic Lakes at Climate Warming: Regional Features

Abstract

The problem of eutrophication of the waters in remote Arctic regions is discussed as a consequence of climate warming and global dispersion of phosphorus. The analysis of long-term monitoring results of water quality from 1990 through 2018 (once every four to five years) provides evidence that the total concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen, as well as organic matter, had increased by the last decade, which is confirmed by reliable relationships with temperature conditions. The fluxes of phosphorus into lakes from drainage areas were calculated using V.V. Bouillon’s model and turned out to grow during the last decade. The trophic status indicator (TSI) of the lakes shows that the number of oligotrophic lakes has decreased and the number of meso- and eutrophic ones has increased even where no influence of any anthropogenic factors was identified.